The First Year
by Fashionista7
Summary: The one-shot prequel to The Return of the Kin Killer. After Reid is given temporary custody of Maddie, he's becoming a father to her as Maddie's becoming a daughter to him. Take a look into the first year from heartwarming moments to challenges to the day Reid officially becomes Maddie's father.


**Hello, everyone. Here is another Criminal Minds fan fiction from me.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. Criminal Minds belongs to the creator, Jeff Davis. I don't own any of the original characters.** **I'm not going to lie, I'm uber nervous about creating this story.** **PS: The sequel to The Return of the Kin Killer, Wake, will be coming soon.**

 **For this story, it's a one-shot. Take a look into the first year from challenges to memorable and heartwarming moments to the day Reid officially becomes Maddie's father. Enjoy and I look forward to hearing from you all.**

 **Please, do enjoy my story and please review** **; constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

 **Maddie (Seven months old)**

Reid walks out of his apartment kitchen with a six ounce bottle of formula that he had just warmed up in warm water. He sees Maddie sitting on the floor in the living room, playing with the plush pink bear.

"It's feeding time, Maddie," Spencer takes a seat on the couch, brings her into his arms and on his lap so he could feed Maddie her formula. "I see you're enjoy playing with the bear Garcia gave you, huh? Well, don't worry. She'll be giving you more presents, even though your birthday's not for another few months. She's been known to do that." He smiles as Maddie looks at him with her big dark brown eyes lit up.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Carefully putting Maddie down on the floor after feeding her.

"You stay right there, alright, Maddie? Try not to go anywhere, not that you can just yet." Opening the door,

"Hey, pretty boy!"

It was his entire BAU family at his front door.

"Hey…? What are you guys doing here?"

Hotch shrugged his shoulders, "What? Are we not allowed to see how you and Maddie have been doing, especially me, since I am her legal counsel?"

"We're fine, thanks. The assessment test CPS carried out went great and the courts definitely made sure I was a suitable person to look after her."

"Well, invite us in."

Inviting the gang inside his apartment, they all gasped and had their jaws dropped to the ground. "Oh my god! Oh…my…god!"

"What...? What happen…?"

"Reid, look!" JJ said, grabbing his attention. "Maddie's crawling!"

He gasped in pure disbelief as he couldn't believe Maddie was taking her first crawl on his floor. He soon sees Morgan and Garcia quickly whipping out their phones and started to record Maddie as she crawls up to Reid. "Oh my god! This I have to show Prentiss."

"You and me both."

"Aww. Come here, you." Reid smiles as he picks Maddie up and she starts babbling and moving around in his arms. "Can you believe Maddie's starting to crawl? Pretty soon she'll be walking and running."

His eyes began to light up when, "Now, would you look at this? Maddie's getting her first new tooth. And it looks like it's starting to hurt."

"No way!"

Morgan makes a quick stop at Maddie's room before coming right back out with,

"I got just the item," He pulls out a pink and green ring. "A teething ring, huh? Here you go, Maddie." After giving Maddie the teething ring,

"Hey, I think she likes it."

Maddie throws it at Morgan's head after he catches it with his face before giggling and clapping her hands. Garcia and JJ took a quick laugh together before stopping once Morgan glared at them before putting it in the freezer.

"Don't worry. Garcia to the rescue," Garcia said as she took Maddie from Reid's arms before through her bag, rocking her. "Luckily, I bought Maddie a new teething toy. Come here, you pretty little baby…"

She pulls out a seven-inch toy giraffe from her bag and gives it to Maddie, who immediately starts to teeth on it. "It's…Sophie the Giraffe. Here you go, little one. Now that you're all better now, let me take you back to Reid."

"Ahh, don't you look cute." Morgan teases him and Maddie.

"Ha-ha. I guess this means she's starting to grow up, huh?"

"Yeah, she is."

* * *

 **Maddie (Nine months old)**

"What do you mean, Maddie could be removed from my care?" Reid asked Hotch as he was swinging Maddie on the baby swing seat in the park.

"Her case worker, Russell Bates, filed a motion to have her removed from your care sometime after what happened when Mason Meyer put a hit on her when we threatened him in interrogation. The hearing is in a few days and it's the same judge who awarded you temporary custody of Maddie."

"Still she came out unharmed."

"There's that and the time when you took her to the hospital and the doctors found old and newly-healed bone fractures."

"Hotch, you know I wasn't responsible for those fractures. Anyway, what about the past negligence from her other caretakers?"

"Still and he also claims to believe that you don't spend enough time with her, due to the excessive traveling we've been doing lately."

"I _do_ spend other times with her. We bond by playing games together, I read to her before bed; I even sing lullabies to her. You don't have to believe it, but it's true."

"We all know that you do; Bates clearly doesn't believe you do."

Reid takes a deep sigh, "So, what's going to happen how?"

"Look, I'm still Maddie's legal counsel. We still have to present our case to show that you are still that same suitable person to look after her."

Before either Hotch or Reid could talk, they could hear a small rumble of thunder and dark storm clouds and sky coming their way.

"We better get going before it rains on us."

"Alright. Come on, Maddie," Reid said, taking her out of the baby swing seat and strapping her into the stroller. "We have to go. Hopefully, we could come back tomorrow."

* * *

 **A few days later**

While the rest of the team was working on another case in Maryland, Hotch and Reid stayed behind for the motion hearing. While Russell Bates was at the plaintiff's table, grabbing papers out of his briefcase, Hotch walks in the room with Reid and Maddie. As Hotch heads to the defendant's table, Reid sits at the spectators' seat while rocking Maddie as she had her head on his chest. A tall bailiff enters the room.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Richardson." Everyone stood up.

Soon, the distinguished-looking judge with short salt-and-pepper hair, black rimless glasses, dressed in a typical black robe, enters the room.

"You may all sit."

He looks through the papers and files from his folder he was recently given by the bailiff. "Now, Mr. Bates? I understand that you have filed a motion to have Madison Jean Müller removed from…Dr. Spencer Reid's care?"

"Yes, your honor." Bates answered.

"Please tell me why that is now."

Bates removes his glasses as he begins to present his case. "Well, your honor. I have learned that when Dr. Reid had brought Madison to the hospital for the first time, there were fractures wounds discovered by the ER doctors, but that she was a targeted hit from one of the criminals that his team members had interrogated and had put a hit on. Because of the line of the work he's in, he should not be her guardian, let alone her temporary guardian."

"Interesting. Cross-examine, Agent Hotchner?"

"Your honor, Dr. Reid is a dedicated senior FBI agent. The man who had put a hit on her and his hit-man are both at top maximum security prisons; both of them were sentenced to death row. Also, he is not responsible for the fractures Madison came in with since doctors determined that the fractures happened before he was ever given temporary custody. The only other guess is that the foster families were responsible for those fractures, due to Mr. Bates' negligence for even putting Madison in those homes. "

"Your honor, Dr. Reid, Agent Hotchner and their team members have been doing an amount of excessive traveling to a number of different places in the country throughout most of the months since Madison has been in his custody," Bates hands the judge a few sheets of paper. "How would we know if he even spends time with her?"

"My client spends as much time with her as he possible can. I even gave him some time off to get him and Madison settled in. He has not only taken parenting classes, but he has my agents—his team members—for support; not to mention he hired a highly-qualified, heavily experienced professional nanny. We made sure as we checked her background carefully; something that Mr. Bates had yet to do before he put Madison in her other foster homes. In the first foster couple's care, they didn't even notice she was sick until a week and a half later."

"Alright, gentlemen." The judge said, banging his gravel. "I will go through both your cases thoroughly and will have a decision in a day or two; maybe longer than that. I most definitely want to make sure this young girl will be in good hands. We're adjourned."

After the judge bangs his gravel and steps down, Hotch looks at a worried Reid gently rocking a sleeping Maddie.

* * *

 **A week later**

Reid waited uncomfortably Judge Richardson's arrival on his decision whether or not he could continue to be Madison's temporary guardian. He couldn't understand why, but sometime after Madison came into his life, he wondered if it was faith to look after her; maybe be something more than that...

His thoughts were put on hold when he heard the door opens up and Judge Richardson, dressed in a well-tailored suit with navy blue tie, walks into the room with a stoic look on his face. Even though he didn't look like nervously, Reid bit his lip and took a quivering breath. As Richardson took a seat behind his desk,

"Well, doctor. It's been a week since the last time we saw each other. I looked at this case very carefully and very wisely; back and forth even."

"Yes, your honor, sir."

"So, you understand I took this case very seriously. This little girl lost her family to her own father—whose parental rights I would have love to terminate and personally execute myself. Now, you have to understand we all only wants what's best for Madison, but I will not have her in the care of people or someone who doesn't have a damn about her."

"Your honor, please," Reid said, trying to reason with Richardson. "I will do anything and everything you want me to do. I'll even ask if I could have more time off of my work to spend more time with her if that's what I have to do. I will spend every waking moment with her as I possibly can; even after she fall asleep, I will be there for her. I promised myself that."

"I know. Which is why I've decided to let you keep her." Richardson smiled.

"Really?" He grinned.

"Yes really. I get this sense that you care deeply about this girl and her future, which is something I saw when I looked at this case. Despite the line of work and the amount of traveling you do, you still want to be there for her. So for that, you get to keep her."

"Thank you, your honor," As Reid got up from his seat,

"You're welcome. Oh, and Dr. Reid? Just promise me that you will not let me or that little girl down. Or make me feel I will regret this decision of me letting you keep her."

* * *

 **Maddie (One year old)**

"Surprise!"

It was the entire team in the room, including Hotch's son, Jack, his godson and JJ's husband, Henry and Will and Emily. The room was decorated with vivid balloons and streamers, giant blue, pink, red and white-iced cupcakes arranged on the table.

"Happy birthday, Maddie!"

"Oh! Happy birthday, little Maddie!" Garcia squealed as she approached up to Maddie and practically takes Maddie from Reid's arms, in which he's been used to. "Aw! Can you believe you're a whole year old today? I got you some of the most adorable and prettiest outfits. _And_ they're from your godmother. You're going to look like a pretty little American Girl doll." She puts a toy tiara headband on her head.

"We're here to say 'Happy Birthday' to the birthday girl, my little god sister." Henry said, walking up to Maddie, patting her head.

"Emily? You made it?" A surprised Reid asked.

"Of course I made it. My meeting was cancelled, so I came here. I guess it was some kind of faith, you know?"

"Yeah. Where's Rossi?"

"Father and daughter trip, but he got her this puzzle." Hotch pulls out an educational puzzle box from behind him. "Does anyone have any words to say to the birthday girl?"

"If any, I'd like to go first," Morgan said. "Maddie, my gift to you is that you will always be loved, no matter what. And this sweet cake Garcia and I made with the help from my mother and sisters." After setting down the small pink, purple and white cake down on the baby high chair table, Garcia sets Maddie down on the seat. She sticks her fingers in the cake and takes a small taste before shoving a huge piece in her mouth.

"Our turn," Jack and Henry walked up to her as she was eating. "Our gift to you is that you will have us to look out for you…."

"…Whether you want our help or not. What do you say about that, kid?"

With both her hands, Maddie took two chunky pieces from her cake and smears them on both Henry's and Jack's faces. The team—especially Hotch and JJ—erupted into laughter as they witnessed what Maddie to them as she giggled and claps her hands. With their jaws dropped, Henry and Jack looked at each other before looking at Maddie,

"Did this girl just…?"

"She did."

Henry takes a piece of cake from his face with his finger and gives it a little taste. "Mmm. What flavor is this cake? Red velvet?"

"Red velvet with cream cheese filling and vanilla bean buttercream icing."

"Well, I like it."

Henry tries to take a piece from Jack's face, but Jack flicks his hand away from his face and tells him to don't even think about it or get any ideas. Grabbing a napkin to wipe Maddie's face from the cake smeared on her. "Aww, Maddie. Did you had to do that to them?"

A small noise came before anyone else could talk. "Dada."

The team, including Reid, looked at Maddie with dropped jaws and raised eyebrows.

"Did she…?"

"Just call Reid…?"

"Dada."

Reid gasped with complete shock. He just couldn't believe it. "She…she-she called me 'dada.' She called me 'dada,' you guys! Can you believe it? She said her first word to me! And on her birthday too!"

Hearing Maddie saying 'dada' to Reid had both Garcia and JJ melting, Morgan grinning and Hotch having a serious smirk on his face, which everyone knew he was grinning on the inside.

"I guess that Judge Richardson was right; she _did_ choose you to look after her."

"Yeah. She did, didn't she?" Reid said before Maddie coats his face with cake, which caused the rest of the team exploded in laughter. Flickering his eyes, "Okay. Henry and Jack I get, but me? Funny."

* * *

 **Maddie (Thirteen months old)**

"Come on, Maddie." Reid said as he kneeled down. "Come on. You can do it."

Maddie, dressed in a denim jumper set and barefooted, tries to take a step, but just simply falls down on the plush green grass.

"That's alright, Maddie. You can try again."

Maddie sluggishly gets up, only to fall down again. Reid's focus turn to JJ, Garcia and Henry walking through the gate with bags hanging from the bags. As Henry walks into the house.

"Hey, brainy daddy."

"Hey, people."

"What's going on?"

"I'm trying to get Maddie to walk, but I guess she's still too little."

"It's okay, Spence," JJ said, trying to cheer Reid up. "Babies walk at different months. It takes time; but you'll get there."

"Anyway, you want to see what I got for Maddie?" Garcia asked as she goes through her bagged purchases, "One of my gifts is a book: _Corduroy_."

"This book's a classic."

"I know. I read this to Henry and…"

Garcia started to jump up and down and pulled out her cell phone, "OMG-OMG! Look-look! Reid! JJ! Maddie's walking!"

Reid gasped breathlessly when he sees Maddie walking towards him, getting all excited. "Yeah, that's it! That's it, Maddie! Come to me, Maddie! Come…to…"

Maddie walks pasted Reid and starts exploring through Garcia's bagged purchases before running away with the Corduroy book. Morgan, Hotch and Rossi noticed Maddie when they opened the siding doors as she ran into the house. JJ puts her hand over her mouth in a desperate attempt not to laugh. Turning their attention to Reid and the girls,

"What happened here?"

JJ explained. "Maddie took her first steps, but ran pasted Reid and took off with the Corduroy book Garcia bought for her."

Morgan let out a hysterical laugh, "It's looks like she's more interested in that book than you, pretty boy."

Out of the blue, Maddie runs back into the backyard and into Reid's arms; melting JJ and Garcia's hearts.

"Aww, Maddie. Did you run back out here to give me a hug or did you want me to read _Corduroy_ to you?" Maddie stares at him,

"Of course I'll read to you if you give me another hug."

* * *

 **Maddie (Fifteen months old)**

Reid takes an unusually fussy and cranky Maddie out from her crib, takes a seat on the plush chair and wipes her runny nose down.

"Maddie-Maddie," Reid pleaded with her as she kept moving his hand away from her face. "Please hold still. It's okay; just calm down and relax. You're going to get better real soon. I promise you that."

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Gently placing Maddie back in her crib and turns on her humidifier,

"Try to get some rest, Maddie. I'll be back in a little while to come and see how you're doing, alright?" Opening the door after leaving her room,

"Hotch! Alice!"

Hotch and Maddie's modestly-dressed nanny, Alice greets him at his front door,

"Hello, Dr. Reid. I'm here to take care of Maddie for the day."

"Oh, yeah. Come on in." After he lets Alice and Hotch, "Uh, Alice? Just to let you know; Maddie's been having a fever for a last couple of days, not to mention vomiting a bit and having that slight dry cough. I called her pediatrician yesterday, but just give her another call if anything else happens. So, just be careful with her, okay?"

"Of course." After Alice lets the living room for Maddie's room. Turning his attention to Hotch,

"So, what happened?"

"It's been nine months since Maddie has been in your care."

"I know, Hotch and I'm just about to finish up the adoption papers really soon. It's just that…" Taking a seat on the couch. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

"The right thing?" Hotch joins him. "What do you mean, 'the right thing,' Reid?"

"Adopting her as my own. I mean…I-I-I just…I...what if…I'm not going to be a good father to her? Hotch, Maddie's sick; she's never been sick like this before, but what if it's more than that?"

"Well, if you feel that way, why don't you go with your gut feeling and what it's telling you? There are your best instincts. Call her pediatrician or take her to the hospital?"

Reid and Hotch looked at each other before Reid takes a good look at Maddie's room. Taking Hotch's advice to heart, he leaped off the couch and sees Maddie in the arms of Alice. Walking over to her side.

"She doesn't look so well."

"Now that you mentioned it, she doesn't. And she starting to wheeze rapidly. Let's get her to the hospital! Quick!"

* * *

 **A few hours later**

Reid and Hotch calmly and anxiously waited in the hospital's waiting room while Alice went to get something to snack on. Morgan, JJ and Garcia walks into the hospital, noticing the seriously worried Reid biting down on his nails. Alice walks back with a cup of coffee for Reid. He couldn't understand why, but he feared it was something more than that.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Alice."

The door opened and a middle-aged female doctor walked in with a look of exhaustion on his face. "Family of…Madison Jean."

"How is she?" Reid rose from his seat as he spoke first. "I'm her foster father. You can speak with us."

"Maddie's going to be okay."

Everyone's faces—notably Reid's—lit in and sighed in relief. "She is?"

"Yes. It turns out she was having a stomach bug from a bacterial infection. We treated her for the fever, the cough and the wheezing should go down. I must say, when you brought her in, her temperature was almost 105…"

"105?"

"Yes, but we also brought that down. She was also dehydrated..."

"She was dehydrated too?"

"Yes and we gave her a course of antibiotics, but don't be alarmed. She'll be back to her healthy self in a few days."

"Oh, that's great. Good thing I listened to my instincts and brought her here."

"If you ask me, there's nothing with listening to your instincts. Parents only wants what's best for their children and some just don't want to take any chances if it could be serious."

"Oh…well…that makes me feel a little better. Can I go see her?"

"Of course."

Reid rushes into the room where Maddie was in and sees her lying in a hospital bed crib with a young nurse giving her a white stuffed bear. "How is she?"

"She's going to be okay. Let me give you some privacy."

Just as the nurse leaves the room, Reid goes over to her side and looks over her. Reaching his hand to touch her fingers.

"Hey, Maddie. You gave all of us—especially me—quite the scare. But the most important thing that matters is that you're safe, healthy and all better now. I love you."

* * *

 **Maddie (Eighteen months old)**

Reid uneasily looked nervous as he observed Maddie's case worker, Russell Bates, take a look at Maddie's room before walking back into the living room. As he was writing notes down,

"Mmm. It seems everything's in pristine order. Your apartment is spotless and organized, Madison's room is clean and tidy. You do understand she will need to convert into a toddler bed soon, right?"

"Of course." Reid agreed with Bates as he was holding Maddie in his arms. "I'm just waiting for the right moment to come.

"I understand that she has been recently vaccinated, but you will have to vaccinate her again when she's between four and six; when she begins school."

"Yes, sir."

"Has she been starting to communicate? You know; has she started talking?"

"Uh…recently no, but she had said a few words a couple months earlier. I've been reading and singing lullabies to her at night. I just hope it'll help increase her language and social development for when she gets older."

"Well that's always a good thing. Once I get this to Judge Richardson to finalize and sign the adoption order; hopefully in a few days or a week. Judge Richardson will ask you some questions on the adoption and if you pass that, Madison Jean will officially be your daughter."

"Thank you, Mr. Bates." Hotch said before looking at Reid cradling Maddie. "My client and I are looking forward to hearing Judge Richardson's decision."

* * *

 **Later that afternoon**

Reid, with Maddie sitting on his lap, was reading _Madeline_ to her.

" _In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines…_ "

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Placing the book on the coffee table before carrying Maddie in his arms as he planned to answer the door,

"Hmm. Wonder who could that be?" Opening the door,

"Mom!"

"Spencer!"

His eyes almost had tears just seeing his mother, Diana, at his doorstep. He made special arrangements for her before she was even allowed to leave the mental hospital he put in.

She smiled before giving him a heartwarming hug. After putting Maddie down, he carried her two bags and sets them down by the couch. "How have you been, my genius son? Who's this diminutive child?" She said, pointing to Maddie wondering around the couch. Reid grabs Maddie and takes a sit next to his mother.

"She's…going to be your granddaughter."

Her mouth dropped opened, her eyebrows raised and eyes widened. "She's…going to be my granddaughter?"

"That's right. Her name is Madison Jean."

"I'm going to be a grandmother?" Stroking through Maddie's hair, "What…? I mean…? How did…?"

"It's… quite a story."

"Please explain the story to me."

"Okay," He took a deep breath before he could start. "When Maddie was about three months old…her mother, three older siblings and many members of her family…were the victims of a family massacre. And her father was the family annihilator. I found her in a trunk case and she was crying. When I hold her…she stopped crying. After we got her check out, I took care of her and CPS came by to get her when they arrived at the BAU. After three months, a judge awarded me temporary custody and now…I'm going to be her new father."

"May I ask…what happened to her birth father?"

"He's in prison on death row. His parental rights were terminated as a result to what happened."

Shaking her head, "Oh. Like you said, that's quite a story. Why didn't you tell me about her sooner?"

Shrugging his shoulders, "I didn't know how to tell you, mom. I guess…I…"

"…You were afraid of ending up like your own father? Is that why you didn't about her until now?" He looks at her before looking at Maddie. "Don't lie to your mother, Spencer."

Rocking Maddie on his lap, "In a way…yes. Mom, he left us. And he wrote in a letter explaining why he left us. I don't want to be like him. I don't want to abandon her like he abandoned us. I just wouldn't do to her."

"Spencer, when I was carrying you, I felt your kicks; even in my sleep. When I went to the doctor for the ultrasound, your heartbeat. Oh, your heartbeat. It was as if you were playing classical music to me. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't really remember if I took my medications when I was pregnant with you. But still…you appeared. You were this…sweet bundle of joy that came into my life; an intelligent, one-of-a-kind creature. And who ever said you'll be like him? From the way I see, you're already an excellent father to her. Sure you'll make mistakes, but you'll still be an excellent father to her."

Spencer beamed. "Wow. Thanks, mom. You're going to make an excellent grandmother to her." Despite that he had to deal with her paranoid schizophrenia moments growing up, she was still his equally-intelligent but loving mother."

Resting her hand on his cheek. "Anytime, baby. Now let me hold my soon-to-be granddaughter." She takes Maddie from Reid's lap and starts to cradle her. "Aw, she has your eyes, son. Have you been reading to her?"

"As much as I can, mom; the same thing you would do for me or I would do for you. Are you going to…tell dad about her? I don't think I'm ready to tell him yet."

"Don't worry, baby. If that's what you want me to do, then I won't tell your father about her either. I'll respect your wishes."

* * *

 **A week later in the afternoon…**

Reid, Maddie, Hotch and Russell Bates were in the office of Judge Richardson as he was painstakingly went through the adoption papers on his desk. After he removed his glasses,

"May-may-may, Dr. Spencer Reid. I can't believe it's been a year since I placed Madison Jean in your care."

"Yeah, I can't believe it either."

"Now for me to be absolutely sure she will be permanently be placed in your custody, I'm going to ask you some questions, so I hope you're prepared."

"I am, your honor."

"Okay. Question one: how will you care for Madison?"

"I will give her my undivided attention, my love, my heart. I will protect her from everything and anything that come in either one of our ways."

"Question two: how will your family adjust to the new child?"

"My mother and my team members—who are basically my second family—are adjusting to her very well. They've been extremely tremendously helpful with her since the day you gave temporary custody of her to me. I even asked them to be a god family to her on Christmas day. I know it would never replace the family she lost, but…I do know they would be there for her."

"Question three and it's the most important: why do you want to adopt her?"

Reid had his mouth slightly opened before looking down at Maddie. Take deep breaths before looking at the Judge. "Your honor, to be honest with you, I've been asking myself that question since the day I filed a petition to adopt her. I don't know why, but since the moment I found her in the trunk chest and held her for the first time, I thought…'Why isn't she crying? What happened to the Reid effect? I didn't do anything.' But now…I feel much happier than I had been before she came into my life. I think…she choose me to look after her and I don't want to leave her. I want that place in her life…as her father."

"Remarkably. Question four; the final question: is there anything the court should know before the adoption is finalized?"

"Other than the fact that I will look after her as my own…then no, your honor."

"Well then. I may not be a profiler like you, but I can most definitely see that you already love her as your own. Which is why I'm granting you permanent, legal custody…of Madison Jean Reid." Judge Richardson said as he signs the adoption order with a smile.

Reid and Hotch looked at each other, breathless and overjoyed with both surprise and glee. "I-I…I…don't know what to say, your honor."

"You don't have to. Just promise me that you will take amazingly care of Madison Jean Reid."

"Of course and he most certainly will. Thank you so much, your honor."

"You're welcome." Hotch shook Richardson and Bates' hand as he and Reid began to leave the room. Walking down the hall,

"Madison Jean Reid. Can you believe it, Maddie? Your name is now Madison Jean Reid. Come on, Hotch. Let's celebrate this historic moment."

"And before we go celebrate, we better stop at the BAU for a quick minute. I need to get something from my office."

Reid couldn't understand why Hotch needed to go back to the BAU, but at the same time, nothing could spoil his moment he was having with Maddie. Once they got to the bullpen,

"Surprise!"

It was the entire team in the room, including Hotch's son, Jack, his godson and JJ's husband, Henry and Will and, Emily and his mother. The room was decorated with lively-colored balloons and streamers, tasty-looking petit fours, macarons, cupcakes and a small jigsaw puzzle cake arranged on the desks. Reid looked at Hotch—who has a smirk on his face—before looking at everyone else.

"Did you all…?"

"We knew Richardson would approve the adoption order, so we've decided to help you all celebrate this new and important chapter in your lives. Congrats, pretty boy. And congrats to you, pretty lady."

"Aw. You all didn't have to."

"We wanted to, Reid," Emily said with a smile. "You and Maddie deserve all the happiness in your lives together."

Morgan comes over and puts his arm around him. "I bet her mother, three siblings and everyone else is looking down on you two right now."

"Yeah."

The team turns their heads when they saw Garcia walking into the bullpen carrying colorful shopping bags. "Hello, faces of my most favorite people in the world. I'm about to give all of these lovely presents to the sweetest candy of them all."

"Aw. You must mean me, lady mama."

"Not today, my lifetime choice for the sexiest man alive."

"Well you must mean me, Aunt Garcia."

"Not you either, little Henry." Walking past both Morgan and Henry. "Today's sweetest candy is…little Maddie." She walks up to Reid, takes Maddie from his arms and gives her smooches on both sides of her cheeks. "Congratulation, Reid and Maddie."

After Morgan sets down a slice of the jigsaw puzzle cake and a pink-iced cupcake down on the baby high chair table, Garcia sets Maddie down on the seat. "Come, people! Let us have a toast to welcome our new member of the BAU family: Madison Jean Reid."

Reid walks over to place a pink-iced cupcake in Maddie' tiny hands, "Did you hear what your Aunt Garcia, Maddie? You're a part of our family now." Maddie smears Reid's mouth with pink icing. The entire team just broke out into laughter as Maddie starts to giggle. "Okay, Maddie. Two can play that game." Reid takes a blue-iced cupcake and lightly pats the icing on her nose, cheeks and forehead before he and Maddie started to giggle together.

* * *

 **Later that night**

Reid closed the _Goodnight Moon_ book and looked up to see Maddie fast asleep. He walks out of the room for a quick second to see his mother calmly sleeping in his bed. Heading back to Maddie's room, he sees the full moon with few stars shining from the window. "Don't worry. Maddie's in great hands. I won't let any of you down."

Gently putting his hand on Maddie's cheek. "Hey, Maddie. I know you're asleep, but I just wanted to let you know that you now have a team of guardian angels watching out for you and there are some watching over you right now. And they will always be a part of you, no matter what." Kissing her forehead, "Sweet dreams, Maddie. I love you."

 **Please review. PS: The sequel to The Return of the Kin Killer, Wake, will be coming soon.**


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